Abracadabra! The kids are excited to read again.
It may seem like magic, but, the so-called iPad Generation could be ready to turn a new page on the literary crises. Abracadabra Books is among the enthusiastic book companies bringing on the battle — but with science, not spells.
Experts have warned of a literary crisis for years, but concerns appear to be growing for Gen Alpha, and perhaps the newly-crowned Gen Beta could be next.
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In 2022, only 33% of fourth graders were reading at grade level, according to National Achievement-Level results. The issue has taken center stage in New York, where as many as eight in 10 kids fail annual reading tests in large districts like Buffalo, Rochester, and Syracuse. In Gotham, less than half pass.
At the same time, screen time use has skyrocketed since 2020, and some research suggests that it has negatively affected preschoolers’ health, academics, and social skills. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends screen time be limited to an hour a day.
While glued to bright screens and plugged into headphones, children aren’t acquiring basic skills, and it’s catching up to them later in life.
Abracadabra Books wants to make reading fun again, and the company is taking some tricks from the competition to make it happen.
“At Abracadabra Books, we’re not just creating books — we’re fixing the curiosity and motivation problem that’s been plaguing young kids,” the company explained. “The big publishing houses? They’re too focused on cramming more information into books and appealing to wide age ranges, rather than truly sparking a child’s imagination.”
Led by founder and technology industry veteran Sindhu Narasimhan, Abracadabra’s team has taken three principles from app design and applied them to create engaging non-fiction books — simplicity, atomicity, and progressive disclosure.
“I spent a decade designing smartphone apps, and I know what makes them effective. We are bringing the same principles to designing the new generation of non-fiction books for children to make reading fun,” shared Narasimhan.
Each book is bright, colorful, and easy to pick up, shows only one concept per page, and reveals more advanced concepts as the users’ (or readers’) interest grows. If that seems addicting, you might be onto something. The hope is to make turning pages as rewarding as scrolling for tech-obsessed kids.
“Beyond this, we focus on relatable themes — like culture, biomes, national parks, and more — that lack well-designed books for kids but are topics they are eager to learn about,” the company added.
The Mini Explorers Biomes encyclopedia, which is filled with glistening images of flora and fauna and inspiring tidbits of knowledge from around the world, is a current best-seller. More themes are curated for kids from ages three to 12. Hardcover sets of four start at $55.
Parents, teachers, and librarians have raved about the new real-world books. Some consider them game-changers for kids with short attention spans, especially in the age of AI.
“My five-year-old is literally obsessed,” one parent shared. “The books are just perfect and super easy to read and understand. Max stays engaged the entire time.”
But for the small book company, this is just the start. Over the next year, Abracadabra Books plans to collaborate with more education systems and bring its titles into classrooms.
For little ones, gone are the days of outdated reads. Another Literary Golden Era could be on the way.
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This article was written by Miska Salemann, New York Post Commerce Journalist. As a Gen Z first-time mother of one, Miska tests baby, maternity and postpartum products ranging from stylish new kids clothes to long-trusted diaper brands with her daughter. She evaluates baby- and mom-approved products for practicality and quality, and consults medical and parenting experts to weigh in on safe ingredients, usage and more. Before arriving at the Post, she covered the lifestyle and consumer verticals for the U.S. Sun.